Elon Musk-LED Tesla Inc. TSLA is facing another trial by a black worker who was Awarded $137 million in damages for racism earlier.

What happened: The process to determine how much money Tesla will have to pay began in San Francisco on Monday Owen Diazan elevator operator, Reuters reported.

Diaz’s attorney reportedly said during the opening statement that racial slurs, graffiti and threats faced by the plaintiff were tantamount to the “plantation mentality” prevalent at Tesla’s Fremont, California plant.

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“They will conclude that Tesla’s behavior … is a conscious decision not to protect African American employees in their workplace,” he said Bernard AlexanderDiaz’s attorney, according to the report.

Tesla’s Lawyer, Alex Spirosaid that while any racist behavior at the factory could not be justified, Diaz exaggerated the claims and could not prove he suffered psychological harm that would justify financial damages, Reuters reported.

Why it matters: Employment discrimination cases most often do not result in judgments of more than $1 million, while the US Supreme Court has ruled that punitive damages most often should not exceed 10 times the damages, Reuters noted.

US District Judge in January William Orric in San Francisco lowered the award from $137 million to $1.5 million for compensatory damages and $13.5 million for punitive damages, according to an earlier report.

A federal jury ruled so $137 million payout in October 2022. Diaz worked as an elevator operator at Fremont between 2015 and 2016.

Price promotion: On Monday, Tesla shares closed 0.7% higher at $191.81 in the regular session, up 0.6%, according to data in after-hours trading Data from Benzinga Pro.

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